Machine Attacks by Ohm Lab
Today we dig into the popular drum and percussion sample collection from ModeAudio called Machine Attacks and let you know what we think!
We've come to expect quite a lot from the ModeAudio crew and the sounds they release into the wild. The Machine Attacks sample collection did not disappoint. With plenty of old school analog character and flare found throughout the pack, we were instantly inspired to take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the classic drum machine patterns to showcase some of these sounds. After all, with such crisp and clear drum samples like these, it's hard to resist the urge.
We should point out that not only did ModeAudio include an automated installer script for Logic users, in the Logic pack, but that they also included several channel strips to help launch your productions when you use the Machine Attacks sounds yourself. If you are an Ableton Live user, you're in luck! You should be aware that ModeAudio always goes the extra mile for you and has special Ableton Drum Rack, Impulse and Audio Effect Rack presets built for you already! And, as per usual, there are some really nice drum kits already crafted in the most popular samplers formats, regardless of what DAW you happen to be using.
In our pursuit of the old school experience and vibe, we quietly looked the other way as the add-ons and extras in the Machine Attacks folders begged for us to use them. (Full disclosure: We did! And we loved them! But we still wanted to play with drum machines.) Perhaps we've been spending too much time with our new Roland TR-8?
If you are on the lookout for a wide range of delivery options in a narrow selection of drum choices, this is the pack for you. Machine Attacks features nearly 250 unique drum and percussion samples, broken into the following categories:
- 63 Kick Hits
- 60 Snare Hits
- 25 Clap Hits
- 47 Hi Hat Hits (Open and Closed)
- 43 Percussion Hits (Shakers, Toms, Taps and more)
So, as you can see, the ModeAudio crew had a pretty specific mindset and targeted approach to this set of sounds. And we think that Machine Attacks shines because of it. Instead of showcasing dozens of instruments, they delivered a dazzling array of kicks, snares, claps and hi-hats that spans the spectrum between fat and aggressive to subtle and minimal. Once you begin exploring the countless layering variations in this pack, you should find yourself able to quickly create whatever kind of hybrid sound you want.
Then time taken to expertly craft each and every sound in the Machine Attacks collection is obvious, yet again. Transients are sharp, EQ curves are tight (but not too tight), low-end presence can be felt, high-end presence allows the samples to breath and they all did quite well when we put them through our processing and mangling tests, here in the studio. Of course, we usually shy away from all of those things in the demo tracks we share in these reviews because we believe that transparency is paramount and that you should know exactly what to expect from these sounds when you open them yourself. You can hear just how they handle mixing and mastering in the official demo, in the Soundcloud player above.
The demo below has no processing of any kind applied. No layering, no mixing, no mastering nothing. So the sounds you hear throughout, are precisely what you can expect to get from the Machine Attacks sample pack. There is no accompanying instrumentation so you can clearly hear how each sound is delivered and how they play with each other.
[Please visit the original review page to hear Ohm Lab's demo track]